Gerald McCoy Has Todd Bowles’ Back
December 15th, 2025
Wants fans to give Todd Bowles a break.
Former Bucs stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has never given up on the Bucs, even after they gave up on him.
GMC is a proud flag-waving Bucs fan. He says that will never change.
In the wake of the gutless loss to the Dixie Chicks on Thursday night, legions of fans have erupted wanting Bucs coach Todd Bowles launched.
You cannot get online without seeing a post or a video of a Bucs fan screaming (literally) for Bowles’ head. And GMC has seen and heard enough. So he cut a video defending Bowles, specifically about Thursday night.
“Guys, you have to start opening your eyes to more than just Todd Bowles,” GMC said. “[Fourth-and-14] Todd Bowles called the perfect call. He called the perfect call. … The play wasn’t executed. It was the perfect call.
“One part of a whole play can make the whole play fall apart. That game should have been over but the play was not executed. That’s what happened and that’s what’s happening a lot.”
Well that very much is on Todd Bowles. Who is the coach? Who is the defensive coordinator? Should the coach (by December) know who can and cannot execute a play?
And why didn’t he execute? Is he physically incapable of carrying out the task?
If he made a mental mistake, that’s on the coaching staff for not making sure he knew what to do and when to do it. Coaching is teaching and evidently, the culprit wasn’t taught right (unless you are saying he purposely botched the play).
And if the player wasn’t physically skilled enough, then the coach(es) put the player in position to make mistakes.
So yes, “executing” is very much rooted in coaching.
“Is Todd Bowles the reason why can’t rush with four?” GMC asked.
Yes, absolutely. Again, who is the coach? Who is the defensive coordinator? Who hired the guys tasked with getting a pass rush from these players?
When Bowles develops his next edge rusher, it will be his first. Just two weeks ago, again, Bowles said he doesn’t care about sacks from the edge. Well, chickens have come home to roost.
Last Joe checked, a coach is supposed to both teach and develop. And if he doesn’t have the horses for his defense, then adjust to the talent you have. Or, bring in an assistant who can teach and develop players to run a defense that fits their skillset.
Why is this so difficult for so many coaches to understand?
Guess what? Mr. Clean in San Francisco has garbage for a pass rush. Worse than the Bucs, yet Mr. Clean found a way to hatch a good defense.
Perhaps one of the most interesting things GMC said in this video was that the things Baker Mayfield called his teammates out for after the loss to New England are still happening, and that his sources are folks “in the building” at One Buc Palace.
Lavonte David can’t get through to these guys, Mayfield and Bowles can’t get through.
And Joe is pretty confident after the season, Jason Pierre-Paul is going to have a report card he’s handing over to Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht, naming the dead wood from a player’s perspective.
Bowles and Licht will also be fed intel from guys like Tristan Wirfs, David and Mayfield, too, in annual season-ending interviews.
And Joe hopes Licht launches the offenders, no matter who is coaching in 2026.
If you have a second Buc fans take a listen. You don’t have to agree but just be willing to listen pic.twitter.com/7HLTPQhMkn
— Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) December 12, 2025
December 15th, 2025 at 7:19 am
Gerry always has excuses, still does.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:20 am
I agree with everything Joe says in that article. And I’ll gi a step further. Yes coaching is teaching. But coaching is also accountability. If certain guys aren’t performing for whatever reason, be it mental, physical or attitude issues, sit them down.
Ultimately who plays is on the coach. This all goes back to Coach Bowles in the end.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:20 am
Totally agree with your take, Joe. Why have a “HEAD” coach if he’s not going to be the person responsible and in charge. I was in the Navy and the head coach is just like the captain of a ship. You are given the ultimate responsibility and trust. Fair or not, when things go bad you take the fall.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:27 am
The perfect call on 4th & 14? So who was the culprit? And how many? I want names & missed assignments GMC. If you’re going to defend Todd’s D you better call out the players by name. You can’t be this dysfunctional in all three phases and just blame a player or two. This all stems from the HC. Bowles not firing the ST coordinator early in the season is when he lost this team. You can’t hold the players accountable if you don’t do the same with the coaches.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:28 am
Why does Licht get a pass? These underperforming players are all picked by him. He extended McCollum prematurely drafted JTS and Braswell paid Hassan Reddick 14 million and the list goes on. It’s time for a top to bottom shake up.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:32 am
This tracks….
December 15th, 2025 at 7:33 am
Softy McNice who instilled fear in non, thinks we should keep a coach who cannot coach?
Look these are guys and a system that is multiple years old. No reason they can’t perform, unless coaches are lacking!
Clear being head DC is too much, maybe he could off swallowed his pride and hired a DC yrs ago. But his ego was too big and it should cost him his job.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:34 am
I miss the “stressful” locker room we had with Brady. “I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings… This wasn’t daycare. If I was going to have fun, I was going to Disneyland with my kids.” – Tom Brady.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:42 am
Coach Bowles reminds me of Dirk Koeter. Remember when everyone was calling for Mike Smith to be fired and Koeter said something along the lines of if we fire him who will call the defense? I remember thinking back then, dang there is bound to be SOMEONE in that building that can do better than what we see now, hell, try the receptionist out!
Same sort of thing with Bowles. Guys not performing for whatever reason but he sticks with them. I scream this dang near every game day now, “what we’re doing ain’t working PLEASE try something different!”
December 15th, 2025 at 7:43 am
Just based on the video of VV and Winfield chewing out Reddick as they walked off the field we know who one major problem is and that is Hassan Reddick. The Reddick signing mistake is squarely on GM Licht for wasting 14 million.
Licht also is the culprit of not adding the best tackler in the NFL Jordyn Brooks at the trade deadline. Brooks would have made an immediate improvement to this defense. Licht is also guilty of overpaying McCollum grossly.
Joe assuming Licht will even be around next season is a faulty premise.
Licht is not going anywhere. Sorry to disappoint you. –Joe
December 15th, 2025 at 7:46 am
Nice guy. No intensity. No drive. Just talented enough to get by.
And completely wrong.
It is Bowles AND his lousy assistants AND the trash DBs and LBs and Edge rushers.
A change is coming. You don’t need to be an insider to know it.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:46 am
Dacake
I thought about that same quote from Brady recently. I hope the team is having fun now since playing with Brady was stressful and too serious. Now you see what happens when everyone is friends and family. Brady and Arians held the team to a higher standard. Now the Bucs have Bowles and Baker and there’s no accountability. Think about it, Bowles and Baker aren’t really good so how can a player take criticism from someone messing up as much or more than they are? Lol
Plus according to PR this team doesn’t practice they mostly do walk throughs. They walk and take mental reps instead of practicing on the field. No wonder this team is bad.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:47 am
🍦 ok Gerald You were a nice Team Poison !!
How about you realize that you were not good for a winning culture !!
Nice Guy !! Great Talent !! Opposite of Suh and Brady in a locker room !!
Bruce didn’t send you packing due to talent you nim whit , please just shut up Gerald !! said in a nice , almost sack way .
December 15th, 2025 at 7:54 am
Hey Joe what buccaneers coach has developed an edge rusher? I can tell you it was only one… Tom Bass (1977). Let’s stop pretending like the bucs have had a bunch of coaches develop edge rushers.. and if we really wanna nit pick we can maybe say Greg Schiano with michael bennett.
The only way the bucs can find edge rushers is by signing them from free agency or by drafting a star. Did Joe Tryon Shoyinka light it up when he went to cleveland who has a top 5 defense by the way? NOPE. Name one edge rusher to leave Todd Bowles and light it up? I’d argue todd bowles made players like whitehead,mike edwards, smb, devin white all look better than they were.
December 15th, 2025 at 7:55 am
I am not a NFL personnel guy but every winning NFL coach I know held all players accountable. Parcells, Belichick, Reid and so on. One thing that Arians said is sometimes things get stale and to me that’s also something I think has happened to Bowles. Nevertheless, if Bowles make it to next season I think he has to shake up his coaching staff
December 15th, 2025 at 7:56 am
He is 100% correct that the play was not executed. The corner sat down at 7-8 yards and let the WR do an out route behind him wide open.
But what we have been hearing is how there’s a breakdown on defense with someone not doing their job every other play for months.
That is coaching
December 15th, 2025 at 7:57 am
JBF What pass rusher has left the Bucs and went on to great success? I hear about Bowles not developing a pass rusher ok but who has left here and done well ..Shaq was a backup and came here and developed and flourished and JPP did not miss a beat when he came here ..Sorry but Licht has not done a great job drafting pass rushers ..Licht was here 5years before Bowles what great pass rusher did he draft ? Vita does a great job job but has never been a sack guy.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:01 am
I think Gerald is trying to shift focus from the coach to the GM side.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:02 am
“Sorry Big Ben”. Ever since that 2018 Steelers game. I haven’t been able to take this dude seriously.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:03 am
Totally agree. He knows the defensive scheme isn’t working, change it to something that will. Stop pounding your head against a concrete block and expect to get through.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:04 am
Gerald is a fan, he loves the Bucs, and is correct. Can’t blame Todd for everything. There are a lot of issues. Always respected Gerald, and many of us do have our eyes wide opened. Go Bucs!
And, yes, maybe he shouldn’t be driving while videotaping. Analyze on TV. Stay safe driving ❤️
December 15th, 2025 at 8:07 am
Get what everyone saying and pointing fingers at. Like to think we are still there to win the next 2-3 with Mike and we go into playoffs see what happens.Trust Licht to make the right call in the offseason – not a popular one but I would take him over any past gm’s we had. Look at Atlanta and NO they are a mess.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:08 am
johnnythemoon you are spot on.. and thats a post topic Ive never seen Joe Post on this page. “Why havent the bucs been able to draft a good pass rusher in 50 years?” It would break the site. I guarantee if joe posted licht failures to draft a pass rusher, 90% of the blame in the comments will be on the coaches.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:08 am
Perfect call on 4th, and 14? What about 3rd, and 28? Was giving up 14 yards there the perfect call? Two plays covered 30 yards, perfect.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:10 am
Gee, I didn’t know the coach was responsible for not recovering fumbles, throwing interceptions, throwing inaccurate passes….
Criticizing the scheme and the way the roster is built – absolutely warranted.
Maybe the defensive scheme is too complicated or has had its day…or todays players don’t want to execute that particular scheme. Or the Bucs just don’t have the talent to match the schemes. All valid reasons to change coaches.
But putting all the execution failures on coaches? That’s a bridge too far.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:12 am
Listened to Gerald McCoy and he knows what he is talking about. If a player player can’t execute or comprehend the play have him tutored until he comprehends.. Do what has to be done.
Glad that Todd Bowles showed emotions publicly. Hopefully it motivates the guilty 😔 parties.
If not bench them.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:17 am
Joe, I’ve been reading you since almost the very beginning. You tend to write these kinds of articles when you think a coach should be fired. Players make mistakes all the time. Is every interception thrown by a starting QB on coaching? When Jay-Miss was throwing for 30-30, was that on Bruce Arians? When a running back fumbles the football, is that on coaching? Jameis failed with Lovie Smith, Dirk Koetter, Todd Monken (as his offensive coordinator), and Bruce Arians.
My point it, sometimes it really DOES come down to the players.
It’s not that simple, Joe. This team is not talented enough at certain positions. There have been numerous injuries and the playing who have come in are backups for a reason.
Care to write a similar article on Jason Licht?
December 15th, 2025 at 8:24 am
Anyone who had major issues with Gerald’s video, most likely didn’t actually listen to the whole thing or has selective hearing
December 15th, 2025 at 8:27 am
Fans aren’t upset about ONE bad play……this is four years of frustration that has finally boiled over. There are several videos showing the Bucs players are equally as aggravated as the fans. Let’s quit pretending this is something new. I keep saying, go back to the Rams game with Brady and watch the players reaction to that play call that left Kupp wide open to cost us the game. It was total confusion in a critical moment of the game and season. That was five seasons ago and we’ve been watching this same stuff since. When it counts, Bowles defense collapses. Whether that’s do do execution, complexity, etc…..its been a theme that ultimately lands on the person who calls the plays for the defense. He’s shown no ability to get it fixed. We’ve been watching back up QBs light us up since 2020. Nick Foles with the Bears did the same thing to our defense and we had waaaaaay better players with a top tier front 4. Bowles scheme is flawed, its been happening since 2020, Bowles is the common denominator.
December 15th, 2025 at 8:37 am
Again what great pass rusher has Licht drafted in 12 years ?? How is Joe Tryon doing ..I am sure Logan Hall will go on to greatness as will Braswell ..Noah Spence ? Look thru the 12 drafts and than vomit
December 15th, 2025 at 8:52 am
I really don’t know what to think of McCoy’s commentary I watched this post when he posted on twitter. To me he did Bowles NO favors. Bowles got here when in 2019? This is fully his team, his roster. Sure Jason Licht shares in the blame but dont think for a second that the defense isn’t Todd Bowles ‘ picked unit.
That all being said we are in year what? 7? And Todd Bowles doesn’t know that we need to be able to rush the passer with 4? (I am being sarcastic) but the point is EDGE should of been made a priority & we all know it hasnt been. Drafting guys in the 2nd & later is not making EDGE a priority. We do not get top 10 pciks because we are in the playoffs so we needed a FA or a trade its that simple.
We are getting too cute with “build through the draft” and “we sign our own guys”… That is all great but at premium positions like EDGE, you sometimes need to just make moves.
Might I add our Super Bowl team, we traded for JPP & We signed Shaq as examples. I understand we signed Reddick but I think we still needed to make one more move. Yaya showed promise, but we anointed him king & it turned out that yaya and Reddick both are just ok at best. We need a true consistent play after play EDGE rusher. Until we get one we are likely not to have a great defense.
As for people not doing their jobs… Who are they? McCoy implies its not Bowles and its players… Ok who? I dont like when people get all cryptic. If you have something to say then say it. Dont try to be nice. If someone isn’t doing their job then you need to say who it is. If this stuff is true that player better be out of here next year along with Bowles.
December 15th, 2025 at 9:02 am
Just had to check in to JBF and see how people were doing fter the Saints helped the Bucs out. I thought there would be some positive posts.
But nope – still looks like a suicide help line. People attacking anyone and everyone -Bowles, Licht, the Defense – and the “Killer Bee” leading the charge against Mayfield.
Oh well – you MIGHT just wind up NFC South Champs.
I’ll go back to Mile High Report and enjoy the Broncos big win over the Packers.
That’s all thanks to management firing the Broncos do-nothing coach and hiring Sean Payton. Went to playoffs second year and now 12-2 and First Seed in AFC.
Glazers just have to get a good coach with a real vision. It can happen in Tampa too! But you HAVE to have a good HC like Sean.
December 15th, 2025 at 9:21 am
Todd Bowles is a decent guy but a poor DC/HC. Time is up. Let’s move on. Doesn’t matter what happens next 3 games.
l
December 15th, 2025 at 9:22 am
You are not disappointing only me Joe , but well over half your fanbase.
However if you never put up a Jason Licht Confidence poll we will not know
December 15th, 2025 at 9:26 am
D-Rome- That’s what I’ve been saying. It can be a combo of things but it’s the players who make or don’t make the plays. You can coach it right all week, as Todd has said, and then 1 guy makes a mistake, as Wirfs and others have said that caves the whole thing. I hate to say this but has this legalized betting gone off the rails? I don’t believe that but it makes me wonder when I see guys that have this much football under their collective belts and still screw up. You can’t coach a guys heart, you can’t make someone care. There is only so much coaching you can do before it has to be displayed on the damn field. But I also don’t believe this 3 straight years of mid-season cratering is coincidence. Are there injuries more serious than we have been told? Probably. I also think there’s a lot of things going on that no one knows about, including “insiders”.
December 15th, 2025 at 9:46 am
F McCoy
December 15th, 2025 at 10:04 am
All we heard early in the season was what an amazing locker room the Bucs have. WTH happened? Was that all just BS?
December 15th, 2025 at 10:15 am
jcscycles – Sean Payton, really? No way.
Never will forget Bounty-Gate.
December 15th, 2025 at 10:32 am
I fear we are now stuck with Bowles next year at minimum.
With the Saints leveling the division down to having zero winning records, that alone gives the Glazers reason to keep the coach in place.
He doesn’t have t be a good coach to survive in the worst division in the NFL.
His contract is a lot cheaper than most coaches and he’s never going to rock the boat.
It has been stated here that the Glazers like home playoff games, in spite of the record of losing them in embarrassing fashion.
Money talks and BS walks. Apparently the empty stands don’t matter.
December 15th, 2025 at 10:32 am
Why does this average football player have any voice in here.
McSofty would have Bowles back they have the same ideals on soft practice
December 15th, 2025 at 11:09 am
Every week Baker is pressured and has to run or get rid of the ball hurriedly. Our opponent’s QB has all the time they want. That’s partly O line ( maybe by much so) but we must pressure our opponent’s QB.
I say we launch the dead wood and draft O line. And REAL edge rushers. Or find them in free agency. And do a better job than was done on Reddick. Are we the team where veterans go to be on IR?
December 15th, 2025 at 11:56 am
Wasn’t Bill Belichick that said he would talk smart
players over super talented players any day because if
they cant execute the play they are no good to him…
December 15th, 2025 at 12:00 pm
The perfect play only works if you have the personnel to execute the play. If you do not, then you run the play your personnel CAN execute. It’s not about the 4th & 13, its not about the 3rd & 28, its about the consistent break down in coverage all season. It’s about the persistent clock management issues that falls directly on the HC. If Bucs fans are happy with 9-8 records and first round payoff losses then call us the Pittsburgh Steelers of the south and be content with mediocrity. This division has been a complete joke, and its the only reason we keep sneaking into the playoffs and getting smacked like were Tulane playing Texas Tech. Pathetic
December 15th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
licht asks bowles about players he drafts so the lack of talent bowles is partly to blame . bowles cant adapt his defense to the players he has. and lets not forget the bucs had good players on defense when the rams steam rolled the bucs the season after super bowl bucs catch up and then what happened? blown assignment allowing kupp to ice the game. the year of the super bowl win heincke took it to bowles. bucs beat packers due to the offense. chiefs had no offensive line . it never was pretty even with studs
December 15th, 2025 at 1:23 pm
If these guys aren’t putting in the work during the week, they should be cut or at least benched.
December 15th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
If it was the perfect call, then why were 4 (4!!!) receivers wide open?